Burdens of the Next
by Snowpirate211
Summary: Remnant. A world of monsters, heroes and villains. All have their hardships, their burdens, but they don't always live or die with them, do they? First fic, please be gentle:)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The air was thick with it, a scent so sweet and terrible at the same time, a scent Yang Xiao Long was all too familiar with: smoke. She glanced to her partner, Blake Belladonna, and could tell she had the same thought, something terrible has happened.

"I think it's coming from just up ahead," Blake said, taking Gambol Shroud off her back; Yang nodded and extended Ember Celica.

The smell grew stronger as they walked, overpowering any other smells that might have been there. When they finally reached the source they grimaced at the sight before them. Blackened husks of houses and small buildings stretched before them, many were merely barely recognizable piles of charred wood and scorched stone.

Yang glanced around as she and Blake walked down, what seemed to have been, the main street, "What do you think happened?"

The cat faunus crouched down, "The usual" she replied, running her hand down 3 deep gashes in the stone; a claw mark from a Nevermore.

Yang glanced at the mark and grimaced, "We should look around, see if anyone made it." Blake stood and nodded, starting off toward the North; Yang went West.

As Yang looked around some of the piles of rubble, she heard her partner call out, "Yang!"

Yang rushed over to where Blake was crouching next to large pile of rubble. Trapped half underneath the rubble was a young boy with brown hair and multiple lacerations on his arms; his light blue t-shirt was torn and stained with soot.

Without hesitation, Yang immediately grabbed the bits of wood and threw them off of him. Blake carefully flipped him onto his back; his shorts pants had stains and tears as well and his legs had even more lacerations than his arms. The right side of his face was caked in blood mixed with dirt due to a cut that ran from his forehead through the end of his eyebrow.

"We need to get him to a doctor," Blake said as she looked up at Yang. She nodded, "I'll carry him."

Inside a small cottage, Blake and Yang stood outside the door to a small room that served as their guest room. They had decided that calling a doctor and meeting him at their cottage would be faster than taking the boy all the way to one in Vale. Now the doctor and his assistant were currently in the guest room tending to his wounds.

The two huntress' decided it would be best to allow the doctor to do his job undisturbed, hence the waiting outside.

"How do you think he's doing?" Yang asked, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

"He didn't seem too badly injured," Blake replied as she slid down the wall to a sitting position, "but I can't really say for sure."

Yang nodded and glanced toward the door, "Poor kid," she said, "I can't imagine what it would've been like to go through something like that, let alone at that age."

"Yeah."

Silence filled the hallway for a few minutes before the knob to the door turned, causing Blake to stand and Yang to push off the wall. The doctor, a deer faunus with small antlers protruding from his forehead, stepped out, closely followed by his assistant.

"How is he?" Yang asked.

"His injuries weren't bad, thankfully," the doctor replied, closing the door, "just some cuts and bruises, honestly after hearing where you found him I'm surprised he wasn't more seriously injured."

"So is there anything you need us to do?"

"For now just let him rest, he'll have to stay here until he wakes."

"Okay, that shouldn't be a problem." Yang glanced at Blake who nodded in confirmation.

"Splendid," the doctor replied with a smile and slight bow which his assistant mimicked, "please do contact me when he wakes."

"Will do doctor," Yang replied as she and Blake also gave a slight bow, "thanks for your help." The doctor nodded and he and his assistant proceeded down stairs and out of the cottage.

As soon as they were out of sight, Yang pushed open the door and entered with Blake following just behind her.

The boy lay in a twin sized bed with the blanket pulled up to his torso. His arms lay on top at his sides, both covered in medical tape; above his right eye was a small bandage. The doctor and his assistant had cleaned off the blood and grime on his face and left a cool washcloth on his forehead.

Blake sat in the chair beside the bed and brushed away some of the hairs covering his face. Judging by his features, he was Valetian and couldn't have been more than 6 or 7.

"What do you think we should do?" Yang asked from her place beside the window.

"What do you mean?"

"You said you couldn't find anyone else right?"

Blake shook her head.

"That means his parents are probably…" Yang trailed off.

"I'll go to Vale tomorrow," Blake replied, standing and facing her partner, "see if anyone might know who he is."

"Okay, then I guess I'll stay here in case he wakes up." Hopefully they could find someone to take care of him.

He felt sore; not like he would when he came back home after playing, his body feeling slow and aching, no this was different. He tried moving his arms and was met with a burning sensation that made him groan.

He slowly opened his eyes, revealing a cream colored ceiling bathed in orange light.

_Where am I? _He thought, glancing around. Upon doing so he noticed something obscuring the upper right of his vision. He tried turning his head to look at it but found he couldn't move, as if something was weighing it down. Come to think of it he had that sensation all over his body, mixed in with the soreness.

_What happened? _He wondered, trying to think back to what he was doing before now.

He remembered walking into his house after playing with the other kids to find his mother in the kitchen. Then suddenly there was a loud screech and a lot of yelling. His mother told him to hide so he did, then there was a loud crack and a scream and then he was here. Suddenly it all became clear, that screech was a Grimm and the yelling- "Hey, you're awake."

Suddenly a woman with long golden hair came into view carrying a tray. He tried to ask who she was but all that came out was a quiet croak.

She smiled warmly and placed the tray on the nightstand beside the bed. She grabbed a cup from the it, "Here, drink this," she said.

He grunted as she helped him into a sitting position and brought the cup to his mouth. He coughed after swallowing the water due to his sore, dry throat. The woman gently rubbed his back, "How are you feeling?" she asked. He tried answering her but the words caught in his throat and he let out a rough cough.

"Sounds like you're feeling like more water," she chuckled lightly.

He nodded and took another drink, this time without as much trouble though it still hurt. He let out a light cough then managed to speak, "Where am I?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"You're in our cottage, my partner and I found you," she replied, "my name's Yang, what's yours?"

"James." It was still hard to talk so he opted to use as few words as possible.

"James, huh, that's a nice name," Yang said with a warm smile, "did your friends call you Jim or Jimmy?" James gave a disgusted look causing Yang to laugh, "Just James, got it."

James couldn't help smiling but it soon faded. "Yang," he said, his voice a little less hoarse.

"Yeah?"

"Was there...anyone else?"

...

The somber look on her face answered his question.

He looked down at his bandaged hands, feeling tears well up in his eyes.

Suddenly he felt Yang's arms gently wrap around him and pull his head into her chest. Hot tears spilled down his face and soaked into her shirt as he quietly sobbed.

"It's gonna be okay, James, I promise," Yang whispered.

He wasn't sure how, all the kids he knew had parents, had a family; what was he gonna do, without a family?

A/N: Hello fellow RWBY fans, so this is my first fanfic! Well first I've published anyways, I've always had trouble finishing up stories which is why I've never posted any before but for this one I figured why not, plus I feel like I could use some feedback on my writings so I can make some improvements. I'm sure my formatting needs some work haha. Anyways let me know what you think about things so far and I'll see about getting some more chapters out, deal?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Poor kid," Yang sighed sadly. She was standing outside the guest bedroom looking in at James' sleeping form. He had cried for a while until he eventually fell asleep in her arms.

She turned and looked over at her partner, "So you didn't find anything?"

Blake shook her head; she walked over and peeked in from the other side of the door, "I asked around but nobody seems to have any information on his village, except a few merchants and they said they prefer to keep to themselves," she paused as she observed the boy's chest rise and fall steadily, "the authorities might be able to find a next of kin but they said it was unlikely since their database only consists of Vale citizens."

"So what'll we do if we can't find anyone?"

"We'll have to take him to an orphanage or find him a foster home."

Yang looked at her; Blake shook her head, "Yang, no."

"Come on."

"No."

"Blaaaaake~"

"No."

"But why not?"

"We can't."

Yang crossed her arms, a knowing smile appearing on her face, "Sure we can."

"No. We. Can't," Blake replied, her yellow eyes narrowing slightly, "we have no experience raising kids."

"I practically raised Ruby."

"That's different."

"How is that different?"

"You had your dad to help you."

"And now I have you."

"Ruby is a -girl-, raising a boy is different."

"He's a child, not a baby, I'm sure he knows how everything down there works."

Blake sighed exasperatedly, this was -not- how she wanted this conversation to go.

Yang decided to lay off a bit and took a step toward her partner, "Blake, what other option is there for him?" she asked softly, "I mean he lost his whole village, we can't just drop him off at an orphanage and say 'sayonara'."

Blake looked at her indignantly, "You know that's not what I meant," she said.

"I know," Yang replied, taking her partner's hand, and nodding toward James "but he won't."

A pained expression appeared on Blake's face and she looked down, "I don't think I'm ready for something like that, I mean," she looked into her partner's eyes, "I'm not like you, I don't have experience with kids."

"No time like the present," Yang smiled; she gently squeezed the cat faunus' hand, "look let's just give it a chance at the very least, I mean" the two glanced over at James, "right now we're all he's got."

"Yeah," Blake said, giving Yang's hand a return squeeze, "I guess so, and...if his eyes are really…"

Yang's smile faded, "Yeah," she replied, then a small smirk appeared on her face and she let out a light chuckle, "that'd be pretty hard to explain to a random family."

Blake couldn't help laughing, "Yeah it probably would."

…

"One more thing."

"Hmm?"

"You're not allowed to do that 'lost arm' gag on him."

"Tch ruin my fun why don'tcha."

Blake was feeling very uncomfortable.

You know the saying 'the silence was deafening'? Well that almost perfectly described the current situation.

She was sitting at the dining room table drinking a cup of coffee whilst looking through one of her many books, Yang was currently washing dishes, humming to herself, and finally James was sitting across from her, silently staring at the table; emphasis on the silently.

It had been 3 days since he had woken up; all of the bandages had been removed and revealing small wounds in their final stages of healing. The only one that would likely scar was the one beside his eye.

It was clear to her the physical scars weren't the problem; his eyes seemed dim, signifying the damage on the inside was the real issue here, and the source of the silence that left her feeling...awkward.

She wanted to say something, anything to bring him out of his silent pondering. Anything, to make a connection between them.

_I knew this was a bad idea,_ she thought.

Yang shut off the sink and turned toward the two, drying off her hands with a nearby towel, "Jeez, I've heard of awkward silences before, but never anything -this- bad." Yang Xiao Long everybody.

Blake shot her an annoyed look causing Yang to chuckle. She tossed the towel over her shoulder and grabbed a seat and spun it around, straddling it and placing her arms on the back.

"Trying to burn a hole in the table?" she asked playfully, looking at James. He shook his head, maintaining his silence.

…

"Yang…" Blake started.

"Are you both Huntress'?"

Blake's eyes widened and she looked over at James; he was still looking toward the table but he did steal a glance at Yang then Blake.

"Yup," Yang replied cheerfully, "the most awesomest of awesome Huntress'."

"We trained at Beacon," Blake added, thankful he had finally said _something_, "Yang and I were assigned to the same team."

"My mom told me about Huntress' and Huntsman," James said, looking up, "that you're the ones that protect us from the Grimm."

Uh oh.

Blake had a feeling she knew where this was heading.

"That's right," Yang said, taking on a more serious tone, "that is what we do. We do our best to protect and help everyone but" she raised up her right arm, "we can't do everything."

James' face fell and he looked back at the table, "Sorry."

Yang stood up and placed a hand on his head, "James, I know it's hard, believe me," she glanced at Blake, "we know what it's like to lose something, _someone_, precious to you." She crouched down and violet eyes met silver, "I struggled to come to terms with losing a part of me, but it was thanks to Blake," she smiled at her partner, "and all of my friends that I could keep stand up and keep going, and so can you."

…

"How?"

"Well a smile would be a nice start," Yang grinned, ruffling his hair.

James swatted at her hand, a faint smile appearing on his face and causing his eyes to light up a little.

Blake sighed quietly, _nice work Yang._

A/N: Aaaaaand there it is, chapter 2, yay! This was surprisingly hard to write, I hope things didn't come off as too rushed or make no sense whatsoever haha. So as far as publishing times I'm gonna do my best to get a chapter out every week but I can't guarantee that since I have classes and work, hopefully those won't become a huge issue.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Blake stood with her arms crossed, a look of concentration furrowing her brow. She was in the study, a room left behind by the original tenant. They called it a study but really it was a small library, lined with books left behind by the tenant, an elderly man that used to have quite a bit of prominence as a poet, so she was told anyways.

At the moment she and James had the cottage to themselves as Yang had decided to take a solo mission saying "somebody has to get the bread, besides you could use a little break", in translation "you're not putting off connecting with the kid anymore".

It wasn't like she didn't want to connect with him, she just wasn't really sure how. She didn't have siblings growing up and hardly ever had to deal with children, let alone one that would soon be her and Yang's own. Needless to say, it was not as easy as her partner made it sound.

She sighed and decided to capitalize on the reason she was in here in the first place: finding a book that might help her current predicament. It was a long shot sure but she didn't seem to have many other options.

Her ears twitched and she turned at the sound of the door creaking open. James slowly pushed the door open whilst peeking around it, clearly not sure whether he should be there or not.

"Oh James," Blake said with, what she hoped was, a friendly smile, "is something wrong?"

"Um no," he replied quietly, "I just wasn't sure where you were."

Blake mentally kicked herself; of course he wouldn't feel comfortable being alone here, he had only woken up 2 weeks ago.

"Whoa," Blake was snapped out of her stupor and found James looking at all the books with an awe-full expression, "are all these your's?"

"Um, yeah sorta," she replied, "the last person who lived here left all these behind."

James walked over to one shelf and started scanning the titles, pulling out a few and looking at the covers.

Blake blinked in surprise, "Do you like books, James?"

James looked up from the book he was holding and nodded, "Mom used to read stories to me alot, she even taught me how to read a little."

"Oh," Blake said, looking down with a pained expression, "I'm-"

"It's okay."

"Huh?" Blake looked up.

"It's like Yang said," James put down the book he was holding, "I have to stand up and keep going."

Blake felt her breath catch in her throat, that was the last thing she expected from him. He had said it with a sad smile, as though he was starting to accept that things had changed and there was no going back; it was oddly mature for a boy his age.

It was strange how his words made her feel; she felt sadness welling up in her chest for him having to go through so much at such a young age, but she also felt oddly proud of him. His expression also reminded her of someone, another person with silver eyes.

Blake smiled and wiped at the small tears that dotted the edges of her eyes, "you're right, but don't forget what else she said."

James cocked his head in confusion.

"None of us stood back up on our own," she said with a light giggle at his expression, "we had other people there to help us." She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "just like we're here for you."

There was a moment of silence between them before Blake looked around at the bookshelves and asked, "so what kinds of books do you like?"

James furrowed his brow and mimicked her, "um...not sure, mom usually read me fairytales so I guess those."

"Then I think I have just the thing," Blake replied. She walked over and pulled one of the books on the upper shelves.

James sat at the desk in the middle of the room with Blake standing over him. They started reading through the book, an older tale about a young girl brought to another world. Blake decided to let him read through it and help with some of the parts he was struggling with, it seemed like the 'guardianly' thing to do.

Things were going well but James seemed a little...distracted, "Is something on your mind, James?"

James opened his mouth but paused, seeming to reconsider what he was going to say.

Blake cocked her head, putting on her best 'it's alright' face.

"What did you have to do to become a Huntress?" he asked. _Well, that was unexpected._

"Why do you want to know?"

James looked up at her, his eyes burning with determination, "Because I want to be a Huntsman."

~10 years later~

The day was almost perfect; the trees were all bright green, flowers bloomed all over. Birds sang their happy songs, and animals of all kinds ran free without a care in the world. James couldn't help but smile as he looked toward the clear blue sky.

"It's a beautiful day isn't it," he said. He looked down at the ground next to where he was kneeling, on it was a stone slab with the words 'In Loving Memory of Andrea Asher. Devoted Mother. Rest in Peace'.

A breeze blew through, ruffling James' hair, as well as his black jacket and dark gray scarf with a blue line through it, a gift some years back from Yang. He reached out with a hand clad in a fingerless glove and brushed off a few stray dead leaves that had caught on the grave.

"I'm sorry I can't stay long this time, today's the big day so I can't miss the Bullhead."

He let out a soft chuckle, "It's still hard to believe right now, but I guess it'll probably sink in once I get settled."

He stayed there in silence for a few moments, enjoying the scent of nature before deciding to stand.

He brushed off some bits of grass still clinging to his dark blue jeans and checked his black and gray boots for any dirt before looking back at the grave. "Wish me luck mom, I love you." With that he turned around and made his way toward the path leading to the hill the grave sat upon.

"I'll do you proud, I promise."

A/N: And there's chapter 3, admittedly this was shorter than I intended but I wasn't sure how to make things longer without it coming off as rambling. Also I know I said that you should probably expect a chapter once a week (and if you live outside the US that's still technically true...I think) but this part I had pretty much planned out already and it was just a matter of getting it down, so this may happen again but don't expect it. Lastly, I'm really glad people are liking this story, honestly I've always been a little skeptical of my writing style and whether or not people would get what I envision but I'm starting to see that's not such a big deal as long as it's enjoyed, so thanks for checking it out and offering some kind words:)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was painful, so painful he couldn't even breathe. It was like being crushed by a full grown boa constrictor on steroids.

"Please stop," he choked out.

"But I'm just so proud of you!" Yang squealed giddily, somehow seeming to do the impossible and squeeze James even tighter.

Blake approached with a smile and touched Yang's shoulder, "Yang stop, you're gonna crush him before he even starts his first day," she said with a laugh.

"Awe! Okay…" Yang replied, releasing the poor boy.

James gasped as he was finally released from the fiery Huntress' embrace, putting his hands on his knees as he attempted to regain the oxygen he lost.

"Thanks...Blake…"

Blake walked over and put a hand on his back, "You'd think you'd be used to this by now," she chuckled.

"If only," he replied, straightening his posture. Yang placed her hands on her hips, looking up at James; he was about a head taller than her.

"Awe my hugs aren't that bad, are they?" she asked with a pout.

"Dunno, maybe you should ask my spine," James replied with a wry smile, causing Yang to playfully swat at his arm.

"Smartass."

"I learned from the best."

The three shared a laugh before they were interrupted by a familiar high pitched voice.

"Yay, we're not too late!"

James turned only to be tackled by a red blur, luckily he managed to keep his footing, after sliding back 3 feet and getting the wind knocked out of him. What was with that today?

"Nope, you're just in time," Yang said gleefully, as she watched her younger sister attempt (and luckily fail) to squeeze the stuffing out of James. Thank the gods she wasn't blessed with insane speed AND strength.

"Oh I can't believe you're going to Beacon!" Ruby gushed, looking up at a still slightly dazed James, "It feels like just yesterday you were at Signal."

"That _was_ yesterday, Aunt Ruby," James replied, looking down at the red haired woman.

"Leave him be, Ruby," a voice called; he looked up to find Weiss calmly walking toward them, "you wouldn't want to injure him before he even starts."

"Oh." Ruby whined as she released her adoptive nephew, and stood next to her partner.

"Phew," James sighed, turning to Weiss, "thanks Aunt Weiss- oh wait, I guess it's Professor Schnee now huh?"

"Aunt Weiss will be fine for now," Weiss replied with a chuckle, "but don't expect the same treatment when you arrive at Beacon."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

They looked over to the others who were apparently having a lively conversation about how fast James had grown up.

Weiss looked away and glanced around, taking in the front yard of the cottage and the nearby clearing. She spotted a bag sitting nearby, "I hope you have everything packed and ready," she said, looking back at James, "the Bullhead should be here soon."

"Yeah I have everything I need."

"Are you certain?"

"Positive."

"Yeah, he doesn't need 30 suitcases, unlike somebody I know," Yang chimed in.

Weiss looked away indignantly, a light blush dusting her cheeks. James couldn't help laughing at his soon-to-be teacher.

They joined the others as they waited for the Bullhead to arrive, during which time James was subject to much talk about how great he'll be and how awesome an experience Beacon will be. He could only shake his head whilst smiling as he watched Ruby and Yang be quite animated about they're joy of the whole ordeal.

He felt a hand touch his arm and turned to find Blake standing behind him, "got a minute?" she asked. James nodded and followed her a little away from the group.

"What's up?" he asked, putting one hand in his jacket pocket.

"How are you feeling, about all this?" Blake asked, gesturing toward the others.

"Honestly, I'm a little nervous," he replied, stealing a glance at the group, "this is gonna be much more different than what I'm used to," he looked back at Blake, "but I'm ready."

Blake smiled, "yeah, you'll do great, none of us have any doubts," she replied.

"Hey you two," they turned and Yang pointed to the sky, "Bullheads almost here."

The Bullhead touched down as the two approached the group. Ruby immediately gave James a tearful hug, "Promise you'll write every single day."

"You know he can't do that Ruby," Weiss said with a roll of her eyes.

"I'll get in touch whenever I can, how's that," James said, returning the hug. Ruby pulled away, wiping at her eyes and nodding while wearing a big grin.

He turned to Weiss, "Remember, I won't be giving you any special treatment once you arrive," she said, with a playful smile, "so don't expect mercy when you break the rules."

James gulped, "R-right."

Last but far from least, his adoptive parents; James turned and Yang immediately pulled him into a hug, albeit significantly more gently this time. "Just promise us you'll be careful," she said, gently, "okay?"

"I will," he said, returning the gesture tightly, "I promise."

Yang released him and pushed her fist gently into his chest, "And you better kick butt in the arena AND in class, mister." James rolled his eyes with a smile.

He looked over to Blake who stood with her hands clasped behind her back, making James raise an eyebrow. She held out her hands, showing a small bundle of cloth bound with string which she handed to him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A little 'going away' present," Yang replied as she wrapped an arm around her partner.

He unwrapped it and his eyes widened at the sight; it was a bracer similar looking to Ember Celica except it was dark gray with some blue lines accenting the angles, on the bottom was a symbol that looked to be a mixture of the ones Yang and Blake wore.

"We thought you could use a little extra protection," Blake said, smiling, "and a little piece of us to have with you."

James stepped over and pulled his adoptive parents into a tight hug, "Thank you," he said, feeling his eyes start to mist.

They remained like that for awhile until Yang pushed back, "Alright that's enough mushy stuff," she said with a grin, "besides I think we've kept the pilot waiting long enough."

James nodded with a light chuckle and put the bracer on his left arm; it fit perfectly. He grabbed his bag and stepped onto the Bullhead. He waved to the Huntress' below him, his family, as the Bullhead took off, his new bracer glinting in the sun. He continued to wave until they were out of sight; he would do them proud, he glanced to the forest and, just beyond it, Vale; he would do all of them proud.

A/N: And there you have it folks, James is on his way to becoming a Huntsman. I thought about making this chapter longer but I thought it was better to end on a sweet moment:) Oh yeah and we've finally gotten to see Ruby and Weiss too, they're both kinda hard to get down character wise so hopefully I didn't butcher them too badly haha. Well that's all I've got to say today, oh wait that's right, I'd love to get more feedback from you all so leaving a review would be greatly appreciated. Okay now I'm done, buh bye~


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The terminal was filled with a cacophony laughter and chatter, originating from its many inhabitants. All manner of people lay scattered throughout, from citizens of Vale to visitors all the way from Atlas. Just outside the terminal was a small fleet of airships preparing for yet another long day of travelling.

James couldn't help staring in awe at the place; he had been to Vale before but never to a place quite this busy. He snapped himself out of his stupor and glanced around the terminal.

_Now where's the ship headed for Beacon_, he wondered.

He was about to check his scroll when he felt a hand clap on his shoulder, "Lost, country boy?"

James turned around and smiled, "Micah, of course I'd find you creeping by the entrance."

Micah Albus grinned; he was a little taller than James with long white hair and pale blue eyes. His build, much like James', was fairly lean though he was more wiry when compared to the silver eyed Huntsman-to-be. He was dressed in a short sleeve, white sweatshirt and jeans that were rolled up to about halfway up his shins. He had a piece of leather armor on his right shoulder and another on his left arm.

"Creeping? That's harsh," he said with a wry smile.

"Doesn't make it less true," James shrugged; they shared a laugh at that.

"So, having trouble finding the gate?" Micah asked; James nodded, "Well it's your lucky day," he threw an arm around James' shoulder, "since I'm feeling generous I'll be your illustrious guide in your trying times."

"Boy do I feel special," James said with a roll of his eyes. Micah chuckled as he released his friend then the two set off into the terminal.

"Crazy to think we're actually going to Beacon," Micah commented as they weaved through a group waiting to board their airship.

"We did train hard to get this far," James pointed out as he sidestepped a man in a suit, "but yeah, it is still pretty crazy, hasn't even sunk in yet."

"I know, right? I'm still expecting this to be some sick joke or something."

"Come on, I doubt they'd do something that cruel."

"You never know, I mean rumors start from somewhere don't they?"

James shrugged, "Yeah, I guess, but rumors skew facts pretty easily."

"True," Micah replied; he pointed off to the right, "there it is, the gate to Beacon." James followed his finger.

There was nothing remarkable about the gate itself, it looked exactly like all the others: a few rows of seats and a counter where people could check in with a single attendee. The part that was remarkable was the fact that this gate wasn't nearly as busy and was full of people in all kinds of eccentric outfits and carrying eccentric weapons; some more than others.

"I don't think I could miss it if I tried," James chuckled.

"You'd find a way," Micah joked, causing James to lightly push him.

They walked over to the gate and glanced around at the many passengers, "I kinda expected there to be a lot more people," James commented.

"There probably is," Micah replied, glancing back toward the entrance, "they just haven't arrived yet."

James lifted his arm and a holographic image appeared on the underside, "Well they'd better hurry," he said as he swiped across the image, displaying the time, "we start boarding in 10 minutes."

Micah nodded then glanced over and grabbed James' arm, "Hey, what's with the armor?" he asked, tapping his bracer.

"It was a gift," James said, pulling away from Micah and shutting off the hologram, "Blake and Yang gave it to me before I left."

"A going away present huh? Isn't that adorable~"

"Oh shut up."

Finally the boarding process started and all the passengers got onto the airship, as Micah predicted the rest of those bound for Beacon arrived just before. Once everyone was situated the ship's engines _whirr_-ed to life and they found themselves being gently lifted off the ground.

James approached one of the windows and looked out in awe at the massive expanse that was the kingdom of Vale.

"Yeah," Micah said as he walked over to James, "nothing can quite compete with the view of Vale from up here."

"Can't argue with that," James replied; he could just barely make out Patch from where they were. A slight pang of sadness entered his heart but he took a breath. _This is what you've been working toward, don't start regretting it now._

His attention was pulled away when a nearby holographic display lit up. On it was a rather stoic looking Weiss dressed in a white suit with the sleeves falling just short of her wrists and wearing a pair of reading glasses.

"Good afternoon children," she said with a friendly smile, "my name is Weiss Schnee, I will be one of your instructors during your time at Beacon."

Micah leaned over to James, "Hey, that's your aunt, right?"

"Yeah," James replied, crossing his arms.

"Dude, you're so lucky your aunt is one of the teachers, that's gotta come with some perks right?"

"Actually it's more like none whatsoever."

Micah raised an eyebrow.

"She was _very _specific about not giving me any special treatment while I'm there," James explained, chuckling at Micah's expression.

"Man," Micah said with a laugh, "that's cold."

"Tell me about it," James replied with a sigh, "but that's just kinda how she's always been, at least according to Yang."

"Oh?"

James nodded, "I think her exact words were 'she's as hard on others as she is on herself'"

"Huh."

"-the airship has landed you will convene in the atrium where the headmaster will address you all," said holo-Weiss as she pushed up her glasses, "afterwards you will be moved into the great hall where you will sleep for the night. Good luck to you all and remember you are the best humanity has to offer, but don't let that get to your head." With that the projector shut off.

James could almost swear he saw the holo-Weiss look in his direction on that last note. _Please tell me she couldn't see us...oh gods what if she could hear us?! _He _really_ hoped he was just being delusional.

"Remnant to James, helloooo~"

James snapped out of his stupor and turned toward Micah who was waving him over to the window, "come on, you don't wanna miss this view."

James walked over and, yet again, was totally awestruck by the sight before him. There it was, sitting just beyond the city limits was the large castle like structure on the cliff side accented by waterfalls; his home for the next 4 years and the place where he'd finally reach his goal: Beacon Academy.

A/N: Chapter 5 is now complete, and we've just been introduced to our next OC. By the way I don't think I mentioned but alot of the characters are gonna be OCs, I just really don't like writing for existing characters and prefer putting myself in a characters position when creating a scene which is much harder with a character I didn't create. Anyways I know things are going slow right now but I promise things will pick up in later chapters, believe me I hate filler too haha. So leave a review if you feel like it and maybe tell your friends about this awesome amateur story:)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The courtyard was bustling, now filled up with numerous first year students having just stepped off the airship. James glanced around the grounds as he stepped off the ship; the sight was beautiful, surrounded by well kept trees and, at the center, was a water fountain filled with crystal clear water. Looking at Beacon tower he couldn't help but whistle in appreciation at it, it was by far the tallest thing he'd ever seen...not that that's saying much but still.

"Man," Micah said, stopping beside James, "I knew this place would be big but wow."

"Yeah, no kidding," James replied.

"Hey, you're blocking the way, move."

"Huh?" James turned around and found a girl with dark red hair covering half her face behind him. Her one visible eye was a fiery orange which was currently looking rather intimidating when coupled with the glare she was giving him.

"Oh uh, sorry, my bad," James said, stepping to the side.

She stared at him for a moment then walked past him without a word.

The two boys stared after her form, "She seemed pleasant," Micah muttered.

"Yeah," James said, thinking back to the look she had given him; she seemed annoyed ,sure, but there also seemed to be something else in her gaze, something he couldn't quite describe.

"Hmm."

"Hey uh," Micah started, looking around, "any idea where the Atrium is?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," James said; he pointed toward the fountain, "we can get there from the path past that fountain."

"How do you know that?"

"My aunt told me, she was weirdly specific about it for some reason."

In the Atrium, all the first year students had gathered, chatting amongst themselves while they waited for the headmaster to arrive. James and Micah walked in and looked around.

"Hey," Micah said, pointing, "there they are, finally." James followed his finger and saw a small group chatting off in the corner of the room; some of their fellow classmates from Signal.

As they approached, Micah called out to the group, "Hey, look who finally decided to show up."

The group turned and the boy closest to them grinned, "Us? You two slackers are the ones who just walked in." Micah walked up and shook his hand, "And you slackers nearly missed the airship," he glanced at the others then back at the boy, "or maybe it was just this slacker."

"Pssh, me? A slacker? Never."

"Uh huh," James said, crossing his arms, "I seem to recall a lot of late arrivals."

"Of course you would, James."

"Just looking out for a friend, Chrys."

The blonde laughed, "I see you're still fluent in sarcasm," he said, shaking James' hand.

"You can thank Yang for that."

Suddenly the chatter died down and they turned toward the main stage where a young man with gray hair carrying a cane was now standing.

"Good afternoon students," he said, "I am Professor Pine, the headmaster of Beacon Academy."

_That's the headmaster? _James thought; he assumed he'd look much older, even though his hair was gray, he was still clearly in his late 20s or so. He glanced to the side and noticed Weiss standing off to the side of the stage. She caught his gaze and gave him a small nod before turning back to the headmaster.

"I'd like to welcome each and every one of you to this prestigious school, and congratulate you on making it this far," the headmaster continued, "however your journey is far from over. You see while you have passed the entrance exam that does not guarantee that you will continue to have a place in this school." He paused for a moment before continuing, "At this school you will be forced to confront fear itself, and there is a chance that many of you will not survive. But do not be afraid, for you are the best humanity has to offer not just because of your skills in battle, but also because of your drive, your desire to become Huntsman." James could swear he just stole a glance in his direction. "Never forget why you are here, and perhaps even more importantly, don't let others forget why they are here. Thank you, that is all."

With that Weiss stepped up to the front of the stage, "Students, if you would please make your way to the Great Hall, and get yourselves situated," she said, gesturing to the hallway to her right, "then you will be shown to the locker rooms where you will store your weapons. Make sure you rest well tonight, because tomorrow you will be administered your Initiation Test first thing."

As the first years made their way toward the Great Hall, James and Micah lingered a bit, looking at the stage.

"That was an...interesting speech," Micah commented.

"Yeah…" James replied absentmindedly; _I didn't just imagine that, did I?_

He glanced over and noticed someone had stayed behind too, it was the girl from earlier. She watched the stage for a minute then turned around and looked at James. They locked eyes for a brief moment before she left the room.

James thought about calling after her but decided that'd be a bad idea. But he had to wonder, why did she linger too?

It was evening now, everyone had changed out of their combat attire and were now wearing something more appropriate for sleeping. James himself was dressed in a gray long sleeve shirt and basketball shorts and was currently lying on his back with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

For whatever reason he couldn't get it out of his head that the headmaster had looked toward him on that last part; '_because of your drive, your desire to become a Huntsman'. _James shook his head, _I'm probably just reading into things too much. _He sat up and glanced around the room; everyone had pretty much grouped up in the same way they had in the atrium, all talking about various topics, the main one being tomorrow's test.

"So what do you think the test will be?" Micah asked as he sat up from his place to James' left.

"Good question."

"You don't know?"

James shook his head, "I haven't the slightest."

"I heard we're gonna be put into teams and have to fight a bunch of strong Grimm."

The two boys looked up to find a girl with long pale blonde hair wearing a pure white t-shirt and pajama pants. She smiled at the two of them, "What's up," she said cheerfully.

"Uh, hey," James replied, wondering what she was doing over by them.

"Sorry for eavesdropping," she said, crouching down and taking a seat in front of them, "I overheard you guys talking and thought I'd join in."

"Ooookay~" James said with a raised eyebrow. He and Micah shared a glance in which the latter shrugged.

"So uh, why us?" Micah asked.

"I don't really know anyone here," she explained, "none of my classmates at Dusk came with me so I'm just going around making friends, and you two seemed cool."

That was...oddly direct.

"Wait, Dusk? As in Dusk Academy? In Vacuo?" James asked.

The girl nodded, "Yup," she said with a grin.

"You're from Vacuo?" Micah asked, with raised eyebrows.

"Born and raised."

"Huh," Micah stared for a moment then shrugged, "that's cool, so why Beacon?"

_Of course he'd just shrug that off, _James thought, shaking his head.

"I wanted to broaden my horizons," she replied, simply.

Micah let out a short laugh, "Works for me, nice meeting you," he pointed his thumb at his chest, "name's Micah Albus and we'd be happy to be friends with you, right?" He glanced at James.

James shrugged, "I don't see why not, I'm James Asher, nice to meet you."

"Great, I'm Nina Ivory," she replied before suddenly pulling them both into a hug. To say that it was unexpected would be an understatement.

She released them and stood up, "Well I should probably head back to the girl's side," she said with a wave, "see you guys tomorrow."

"Er yeah, see ya," James replied with a small wave.

"Later," Micah said, a little more heartily than James.

They watched for a little bit as she picked her way through the people laying down, waving and saying 'hi' to people before she stopped at a small group of girls.

"She was...a character," James commented.

"I like her."

"Well I guess your parents will be happy you found yourself a girl on your first day."

Micah snorted in laughter, "Yeah and what about you, anyone catch your eye?" James gave him a look.

"What," Micah asked, defensively, "you can pick on me about it but I can't do the same?" James rolled his eyes.

"Come on, that teenage brain has to have found some prime targets," Micah said, poking James head.

James swatted his hand away with a chuckle. He decided to humor his friend and looked around the room until his eyes fell on a familiar redhead reading a book. "That girl," he muttered quietly.

Not quietly enough apparently. "What girl?" Micah asked; he followed his gaze and picked out the same girl, "really, her? I mean she's cute but I didn't know you were into the quiet, grouchy type."

"I am not 'into' her," James said with a scowl, "she just…" He couldn't finish the sentence; why did she interest him?

"Well why don't you go talk to her," Micah suggested.

"Yeah I'll just walk over there and spark up a conversation."

"That is how meeting people works, yes."

"I was being sarcastic."

"I wasn't."

James sighed with a roll of his eyes. He looked toward her again then made up his mind. He stood up and picked his way through the mess of students and sleeping bags. It was getting close to lights out so many of the students were returning the their sleeping spaces.

After making it through the maze he found himself in front of the girl who was currently dressed in a black t-shirt and red shorts. "Hey um." Damn, what was he supposed to say.

The girl glanced up at him briefly, then returned to her book.

_What a confidence booster._

"I uh think we got off to kind of a poor start," James said, trying to make _some kind of_ conversation, "my name's James."

Silence.

"And your name is…?"

The girl sighed and glared up at him, "Look is there some reason you're over here, cause if you're looking to make friends then no thanks."

Ouch.

"No I- well I mean yes but I- um…" Wow this was hard. James took a breath to collect himself, "I just wanted to talk and get to know you better that's all."

"Well do us both a favor and don't," she replied before returning to her book.

James opened his mouth to say something then promptly closed it and sighed. He was about to turn away when he noticed the title of her book.

"Hey, that's 'The Legend of the Grimm Reaper' right?"

The girl looked up at him, clearly surprised at his statement, "Y-yeah."

"It's a great story," James said, thankful he had managed to get through to her, if only a little, "I read through it when I was younger, I never liked the ending though."

"And why's that?"

"It just seemed...sad I guess, like she was the greatest Huntress in the world but she had to stop fighting because some bandits messed up her eyes."

"Yeah, well...not all stories end happily," the girl replied, her expression flashing briefly with...pain?

"Yeah," James replied, his expression becoming downcast, then he looked up, "but it doesn't have to stay that way."

The girl looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

James looked down at his hand and flexed it, "My aunt once told me that a Huntsman's job is to make sure people live happily ever after," he looked back at the girl, "that's why we train so hard, so nobody has to know that kind of pain."

The girl looked at him with surprise, then she looked down, "If only it were that easy," she took a breath and looked back up at him, "Sakura."

James cocked an eyebrow, "Huh?"

"My name," she explained, returning to her book, "you asked for it earlier."

"Oh," James said, then he smiled, "well it's nice to meet you, Sakura."

Sakura nodded with a small 'hmm' in reply. He guessed that was the end of their conversation.

James turned back and made his way back to his sleeping space. _At least the conversation went well, more or less,_ he thought. That expression she had, it was like she was remembering something. Maybe he was reading into it too much, but there was one thing he was certain of, he had to show her that it _was _possible to make sure everyone lived happily ever after. No matter how hard it might be.

A/N: And there you have it, even more OCs introduced. I wonder does anyone remember Monty's criteria for naming characters? They have to have a name that is a color or reminds you of a color. I've been doing my best to stick to that and damn is it hard haha. So far I think I've done fine, most of the characters have color related surnames for instance James' last name is Asher, you know ash as in a substance that's both black and gray? I thought it was clever...ish. Anways let me know what you think of the characters and story thus far, I'm sure some of the characters are coming off as pretty weak right now, don't worry I aim to fix that as the story goes on. Laters.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The locker room bustled as students grabbed their gear and chatted about what their test would be. There was all manner of rumors floating around about what it would be, from as simple as fighting a pack of Beowolves to as far fetched as taking down a Leviathan. There was also the issue of being assigned to teams and how they would go about it. James knew about as much as the others, even though Yang and Blake were happy to share stories of their time at Beacon, they were tight lipped about what to expect as far as challenges.

He let out a sigh and closed his locker. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned, expecting to see Micah, and was surprised to find Nina standing behind him with a big, happy smile.

"Oh, Nina, good morning," he greeted with a slight nod.

"Morning," she greeted back with a wave; she clasped her hands behind her back, "today's the big day huh."

"Yeah," James replied, touching his bracer, "it is."

"Any idea what we'll see? I heard Professor Schnee is your aunt."

"Micah, I assume?"

Nina nodded.

James sighed, "Nope, I don't have a clue. Wei- I mean Professor Schnee isn't gonna give me special treatment just because I'm her nephew."

"Awe darn, and I was hoping to mooch some favoritism off of you," Nina giggled.

James chuckled, "You and Micah both," he replied, glancing toward Micah who was chatting with Chrys, "though, he probably wants it for getting out of trouble."

"Does he get in trouble a lot?"

"No, but he does have a habit of creating trouble."

James glanced down at his the clock on his arm, "We should probably head out," he said.

Nina nodded, "Let's do this!" she replied, cheerfully pumping her fist, "Lead the way!" James couldn't help laughing.

The Emerald Forest was quite the sight; it was almost impossible to see the ground from the cliff all the first years were gathered on. The only spot where the ground was visible was the area just below the cliff, the rest was lost in a sea of green. Guess Emerald is a pretty appropriate name then.

The class looked over at Professor Schnee and Professor Pine who were both standing off to the side of the class, the former holding her scroll in its' tablet form.

"Good Morning everyone," Professor Schnee said; she gestured to the area in front of her, "please take your positions on the pad you see before you."

The students obliged, everyone picking out spaces near their friends. James himself stood between Micah and Nina.

"Well then let's get down to business," Professor Pine said, swirling his cup of, what James assumed was, coffee, "I'm sure you've all heard plenty of rumors and stories about what you will be facing today." He paused to scan the students then continued, "Well allow me to quell your curiosity," he gestured toward the forest, "in this forest is a set of ruins from Remnant's past, your task today is to retrieve some relics from these ruins."

The students all looked at one another, "That's it?" someone called out.

"Yes," Professor Pine replied with a smile, "but this task will not be as easy as you think. This forest is filled with the creatures of Grimm, and they will make every attempt to stop you from reaching your goal and, if you are not careful, they will succeed."

The students looked at one another again, the mood having clearly shifted.

James rolled his shoulders and glanced at Professor Schnee who met his eyes with a serious look. _I see, _he thought, _their not messing around then. _

"One more thing before you go," Professor Pine said, leaning forward on his cane, "I'm sure you've all heard about the assignment teams. That particular rumor is true, and those assignments will be happening, today."

Some of the students began talking in worried tones. James couldn't help feeling nervous himself, if he ended up with anyone he didn't know then that could make things a lot harder. Professor Pines next statement didn't inspire confidence either.

"This assignment will begin with each of you being paired with a partner, and this person will be your companion for your entire time at Beacon, so you would be wise to pair up with someone you can work well with. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner." He finished that last part with an amused smile as many of the students sported looks of shock.

_Oh no, _James thought with a groan, _that's why they wouldn't tell me anything isn't it? _Damn.

Professor Pine stepped back and Professor Schnee stepped forward, "Alright students, get ready, you'll be dropping in momentarily." With that all the students took up ready positions.

About a second ticked by and the first student launched off toward the forest. James glanced to his left and caught Micah's eye who gave him a thumbs up before being launched.

James took a deep breath before feeling the pad swing upward, propelling him into the sea of green below.

The wind whipped by him as he sped rapidly toward the trees below. Just before he broke the canopy, he flipped, slowing himself down slightly and allowing him to kick off a branch in front of him. He flipped again and this time kicked through a branch, shattering it into tiny wood splinters.

Having slowed down just enough, he reached out both hands and caught another branch and, using his momentum, propelled himself up, back flipping and easily landing on the branch he had grabbed. He glanced back at the cliff which he could just barely make out through the leaves and gave a satisfied 'hmm' before turning back and jumping to the forest floor.

He landed in a crouch and looked around at his surroundings. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary where he landed, it was like any other forest really. He could vaguely hear the sounds of gunfire ahead of him, most likely from people employing their own landing strategies, he decided.

He started running in the direction he assumed the ruins were ,at least, in the area of, weighing his options. The objective was to find the relics at the ruins but he also had to find someone to partner up with. Micah was the most obvious since they had been friends for so long, Chrys would be the next best, even though they didn't know each other quite as well they were still friends.

He thought about Nina as a third option; she was nice after all and they seemed to get along well, so far anyways. Then his fourth option would be…

His mind went back to Sakura and the conversation they had the other day. She didn't seem interested in getting to know him but… For whatever reason James felt he wanted, no, needed to get to know her. He furrowed his brow, wondering why that was.

He stopped as he noticed some particularly thick bushes blocking his path, upon closer inspection he could see they were also thorn bushes.

"Yeah, no," he muttered, glancing at his surroundings. He really didn't want to have to try cutting his way through so he needed a different approach. His eyes fell on a tree just beside the bushes.

"Works for me." He moved back for a running start than ran full sprint at the tree, using his momentum to run up it and backflip over the bush.

His eyes widened as he saw, on the other side, was a girl with red hair. She looked up at him and James saw that it was, in fact, Sakura.

Crap, he wasn't going to be able to correct himself from hitting her.

Suddenly Sakura reached behind her and pulled out a stick that extended outward and, at the top, produced a massive red blade. She swung it towards him and James kicked off of it, flipping and landing a few feet from her.

James let out a relieved sigh, "Nice save," he said, giving her an appreciative smile, "How'd you know I would be able to do that?"

"I didn't," Sakura replied, putting away her scythe, "I was trying to knock you out of the way."

"Oh." James rubbed the back of his head; that was...he wasn't sure what to make of that. He looked up at her and took note of her combat attire; she was wearing a black t-shirt with a white broken heart on it and had on a pair of black pants with red patches in them. She also had on a pair of black and red boots and wore a open leather jacket that reached about half way down her midsection. On her right hand was a fingerless red leather glove and her other hand was left bare.

"Well I uh I guess we're-"

"No."

"Uh...what?"

Sakura gave him a hard look, "No."

"Bu-why?"

"I don't need a partner, I'd rather be on my own."

"But...tha-that isn't how this works."

"It is now." With that she spun on her heel and began walking away.

"Hey wait!" James called, running after her; he could feel his anger begin to boil, "Stop!"

He reached out to grab her shoulder and she whipped around, producing her weapon and holding the tip of the blade up to his throat. Her eyes had a look that seemed to burn straight through him.

James held up his hands in a peaceful gesture though his eyes betrayed the annoyance he still felt, "Whoa, what the hell is your problem? I just wanted to talk."

"Well I don't," Sakura replied, moving the blade just a tiny bit closer to him.

James took a breath to calm himself and looked into Sakura's eyes, "Why? Why are you so intent on pushing me away?"

"I have my reasons," she replied; James took note that her stance faltered slightly as she said that.

"And those would be?"

"None of your business, that's what."

James let out a sigh and he looked at her for a moment before speaking again, "So what exactly is your plan then? You heard the headmaster, we're getting assigned teams today, starting with getting partners."

"And?"

"And, besides the fact that he specifically said the first person you make eye contact with, who else are you gonna partner up with?"

That seemed to get her, she relaxed her stance more and moved her weapon away from him.

James put his hands down, "Look," he said, softly, whatever anger that might have remained completely dissipating, "we're on the same side here. We both have the same goal so why wouldn't we work together?"

Sakura watched him for a moment then put away her scythe, "Just don't get in my way or slow me down," she turned and started walking, "I wanna get there first."

James was about to say this wasn't a race but opted for a more safe approach, "Lead the way," he sighed.

A/N: And there we go, chapter 7. It's kinda hard to write some things because I come up with major ideas for a story first and have to figure out how to go from one to the other. My mind has also been on other things, like I love coming up with stories in another universe for fun and I've been playing Devil May Cry recently so ideas for that are pretty fresh, especially compared to RWBY because it has been a while since I watched the first few volumes. Anyways, enough of my long winded BS haha, as always I would love to hear feedback on the story so far. Kay bye.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

James was...well frustrated didn't seem like the right word but it was the closest he could find. There he was with his new partner, who would be his partner for the remainder of his time at Beacon, walking briskly through the Emerald Forest in complete and utter silence. In fact, Sakura hadn't said a word since he managed to convince her that it'd be better to work together, and that was like half an hour ago. Actually maybe frustrated was the right word.

James let out a soft sigh and stared at Sakura's back as she stopped to slash through a bush in her way. Her jacket had a sort of black flame design on it surrounded by petals he hadn't noticed before.

"Nice design," he complimented; Sakura glanced back at him then looked down at her jacket and shrugged before putting away her scythe and pressing forward.

James sighed again, this was gonna be a long day.

They continued through the mess of trees and bushes, disturbing the occasional small creature making a home in the forest. Off in the distance they could hear the occasional burst of gunfire, each with a distinctive pattern suggesting multiple people facing the creatures of Grimm. James was amazed they hadn't run into any yet.

Suddenly the sound of breaking branches got his attention. He stopped and looked to his left, "Sakura," he called, reaching both hands toward his lower back.

"What?" the redhead asked, annoyance evident in her voice; she stopped when she noticed his stance and pulled out her scythe.

James glanced behind him and as he heard more branches breaking. Sakura stepped over so the two of them were back to back.

"Looks like we walked right into the middle of an ambush," James commented as he watched a group of Beowolves emerge from the trees, bringing his arms up in a fighting stance.

"Yeah," Sakura replied; he could feel her tensing up, "but we're not the ones getting ambushed."

James chuckled and flicked out his hands, extending out his twin katanas, Shade Fang. They were both totally jet black except for the edge of the blade which was silver. "Works for me," he said before dashing forward and slashing through the outstretched claw of the closest Beowolf.

He spun around and delivered a vicious kick to another Beowolf's face, knocking it to the ground. He then stabbed the 3rd Beowolf in its' eye, causing it to roar in pain before he kicked it back into its' brethren. He jumped back and stole a glance at Sakura just as she cleaved a Beowolf in half with a powerful stroke.

A Beowolf charged him, red claws stretched towards him and teeth bared. Just before it reached him, James slashed its' arm clean off then spun around and sliced cleanly through its' neck, easily severing its' head. He then charged the remaining Beowolves and killed them each with precise killing blows to their necks before they could finish their recovery.

He turned around just as Sakura chopped off the last Beowolf's legs, then arms, then finished it off by cleaving off its' head. She took a few seconds to catch her breath then folded up and stored her scythe.

"Let's go," she said, beginning to walk away.

"Would it kill ya to take like 2 minutes to rest?" James asked, putting away his weapons as well.

Sakura glanced back at him and gave him a look; James sighed, "I guess so."

They continued on through the forest until they finally broke the treeline into a large clearing. James scanned the area; there wasn't much to look at aside from a large stone circle that looked to be the remains of a large tower. Upon closer inspection he could see some white and black objects sitting on pedestals at the edge of the circle. He decided to rescind his earlier assumption of it being the remains of a tower and decided it looked more like an old altar of some kind.

Sakura made her way toward the ruined altar and James followed just behind her, glancing around at the surroundings in order to make sure there wasn't another ambush lurking in the treeline. Satisfied they were more or less safe there, he inspected the pedestals and found they had chess pieces on them however one seemed to be missing.

"Damn," Sakura growled, "someone beat us here."

James took another look around, "Well what should we grab, a knight maybe? Or a rook?"

Sakura turned and began walking in the direction of the treeline they had come from, "I don't care, just pick one and let's go."

James sighed and decided to grab the black knight piece. He pocketed it and turned around to find Sakura standing near the treeline, looking off into the distance. He was about to say something to her when a familiar voice came from his left.

"Hey, looks like you beat us here."

James turned and found Micah and Nina walking towards him, the former giving a quick wave while the latter decided to wave both hands.

"Only just barely," James replied, giving a relieved smile. He stepped down and locked hands with Micah then released and gave Nina a friendly nod. "Looks like you two managed to become partners," he commented.

"Yeah," Micah replied, the two of them sharing a glance, "we ran into each other shortly after landing." He looked around, "So where's your…" he trailed off as his eyes fell on Sakura.

James nodded, "I met her a little after I landed." Micah gave him a 'is everything alright' look, "It's complicated," he replied.

Micah glanced at Sakura then nodded. "Those are the relics?" he asked, pointing behind James.

James nodded, "Yup, they're chess pieces," he replied, stepping to the side, and jerking his thumb in the direction of the pieces "take your pick."

Micah stepped up and inspected the pieces while Nina stood by James. "So did you guys run into any trouble?" she asked.

"Some Beowolves, that was all," he replied, stealing a glance toward Sakura who was now leaning against a tree with her arms crossed, "what about you two?"

"We ran into a few Beowolves too," she replied, "and one Ursa that Micah took down, he's a good shot."

"Yeah, he always has been, least as long as I've known him," he commented.

Nina smiled then looked at Sakura who seemed to be getting impatient as indicated by her tapping foot.

James let out a sigh and jogged over to his new partner.

"We leaving or what?" she asked heatedly. Strangely he was already starting to get used to her bad attitude. Sort of.

"What are you in such a rush for?" he asked.

"I just don't wanna stick around here any longer than we have to."

"Okay, but I think it'd be a good idea to stick together on the way back," he glanced behind him as Micah and Nina walked up to join them, "we may not have run into much on the way here but that could've just been dumb luck."

Sakura looked at the two new arrivals and sighed as she pushed off the tree "Fine, as long as they don't slow us down."

_Well at least she didn't outright refuse them, _he thought. He glanced back at Micah and shrugged, giving him a 'please just roll with it' look. Micah nodded, seeming to get the message.

Nina walked over to Sakura and leaned forward, clasping her hands behind her back and giving a friendly smile, "Hi there, my name's Nina, what's yours?"

Sakura watched the Vacuoan girl for a moment then replied simply, "Sakura."

"Sakura? Wow your name is soooo pretty," Nina gushed, grabbing Sakura's hand, "I bet we're gonna be great friends."

Sakura blinked, "Uh s-sure, whatever," she said, before looking away.

James had to stifle a chuckle; _I guess she doesn't deal with people as forward as Nina, it's kinda cute._

Micah didn't bother restraining himself as he let out a light chuckle, "And I'm Micah," he said with a smile, "same sentiment as my partner there."

Sakura said nothing, continuing to look the other way.

James decided to take pity on her, "Well we should get going," he said; he pointed at the trees ahead of them, "Sakura and I came from that way, it's pretty much a straight shot to the cliff."

Micah nodded, "Lead the way, boss man."

James rolled his eyes at him with a small smile before starting off, quickly being followed by Sakura as she pulled away from Nina. The other two followed as well.

James looked over at Sakura and she locked eyes with him, "What?" she asked, with a glare.

"Nothing."

"Then wipe that stupid grin off your face."

This time James didn't hold back his chuckle.

A/N: There we have it, I know the fight bit was short but I felt like having it go on for too long would make the characters seem weak since Beowolves aren't very tough in RWBY. Do you guys think I should make the chapters longer or are these long enough? Please let me know.


	9. Update

So I know that this is a crappy thing to do and I'm sorry if I got anyone's hopes up for a new chapter, trust me I was trying really hard to avoid this. So yeah, I'm still kicking and I don't plan on totally abandoning this story. So here come the excuses, first it's getting close to the end of the semester so my classes are getting extra busy to the point that most of my time is devoted to dealing with final projects as well as my usual work load from each class. And next I'm starting to have a hard time writing this story, largely because I am gradually losing interest in this story to the point that what I'm writing isn't really coming together in a way that I would like. So for the time being I will be taking a break from this story for a little while until I can sort everything out then I will probably rewrite the last couple chapter because after reading them I feel like I could definitely do better. Sooo yeah, that's pretty much it. Sorry for the disappointment but this is all I can do for now.


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